Pedaling wheeled exerciser

ABSTRACT

A pedaling wheeled exerciser includes a crank axle rotated with a crank and pedal assembly adapted to be operated by the user&#39;s feet, a first wheeled body coupled to the crank axle through a first unidirectional member to be rotated only in a clockwise direction, a resistance unit disposed to generate a resisting force against the rotation of the first wheeled body, a second wheeled body rotated with a hand operated wheel adapted to be operated by the user&#39;s hands, and a second unidirectional member disposed to couple the first and second wheeled bodies such that a rotational force generated as a result of the rotation of the second wheeled body is transmitted to the first wheeled body only when the second wheeled body is rotated in the clockwise direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a pedaling wheeled exerciser, more particularly to a pedaling wheeled exerciser which permits exercising of the arms and legs.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional pedaling wheeled exerciser 10 is shown to include a frame body 11, a seat 12 mounted on a rear end of the frame body 11, and a crank and pedal assembly 13 and a handgrip crank 14 respectively and rotatably mounted on lower and upper ends of the frame body 11 to be operated by the user's feet and hands for exercising the same. A resistance unit (not shown) is disposed on the frame body 11 to generate a resisting force against the rotation of the crank and pedal assembly 13 operated by the user's feet so as to exercise the user's legs. However, since no resisting force is applied to the handgrip crank 14, the arm exercising effect is poor. If an additional resistance unit is coupled with the handgrip crank 14, this will result in increased manufacturing cost. On the other hand, if the resistance unit coupled with the crank and pedal assembly 13 is also coupled with the handgrip crank 14, the handgrip crank 14 and the crank and pedal assembly 13 will be operated simultaneously, which may not be desirable in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a pedaling wheeled exerciser in which leg and arm exercising units can be operated individually or together, and are rotated against a predetermined resisting force of a resistance unit so as to provide an enhanced exercising effect for the user's arms and legs.

According to this invention, the pedaling wheeled exerciser includes a base frame, a crank axle mounted on and rotatable relative to the base frame about a first axis, a crank and pedal assembly disposed to rotate the crank axle, a first wheeled body surrounding and rotatable relative to the crank axle, a first unidirectional member disposed to couple the crank axle with the first wheeled body such that the first wheeled body is driven to rotate about the first axis in a clockwise direction only when the crank axle is rotated in the clockwise direction, a resistance unit disposed to generate a resisting force against the rotation of the first wheeled body, an upright post extending uprightly from the base frame to terminate at an upper end, a hand operated wheel rotatably mounted on the upper end of the upright post about a second axis parallel to the first axis, a second wheeled body mounted to be rotatable relative to the crank axle about the first axis, a force transmitting member disposed to couple the hand operated wheel with the second wheeled body so as to transmit a rotational force of the hand operated wheel to rotate the second wheeled body about the first axis, and a second unidirectional member disposed to couple the first and second wheeled bodies such that a rotational force generated as a result of the rotation of the second wheeled body is transmitted to the first wheeled body only when the second wheeled body is rotated in the clockwise direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional pedaling wheeled exerciser;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a preferred embodiment of a pedaling wheeled exerciser according to this invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the preferred embodiment showing essential parts of the pedaling wheeled exerciser;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, partly sectioned schematic view of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a leg exercising unit of the preferred embodiment in a leg exercising operation;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an arm exercising unit of the preferred embodiment in the leg exercising operation shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the arm exercising unit in an arm exercising operation; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing the leg exercising unit in the arm exercising operation shown in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the preferred embodiment of a pedaling wheeled exerciser according to the present invention is shown to comprise a frame body 20, a leg exercising unit 30, an arm exercising unit 40, a resistance unit 50, and a transmitting unit 60.

The frame body 20 includes a base frame 21, an upright post 22 welded to the base frame 21 and extending uprightly from the base frame 21 to terminate at an upper end, a seat frame 23 extending rearwardly from the base frame 21 to terminate at a rear end, and a seat 24 adjustably mounted on the rear end of the seat frame 23. The base frame 21 includes a base 211, a pair of U-shaped racks 212 (only one is shown) secured on the base 211, and an upright support 213 extending uprightly from the base 211. Two bearing seats 214 are respectively secured on front portions of the racks 212. A front post sleeve 25 is sleeved on the upright post 22, and has a display panel 26 disposed thereon. The seat frame 23 has a support leg 231 for standing on a floor surface, and a seat mounting shaft 232 extending uprightly such that the seat 24 has a mounting portion 241 slidably mounted on the seat mounting shaft 232 and locked by a screw fastener 242.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the leg exercising unit 30 is mounted on the base frame 21, and includes a crank axle 31 supported on the bearing seats 214 so as to be rotatable relative to the base frame 21 about a first axis, and a crank and pedal assembly 32 disposed to rotate the crank axle 31 and having a crank 321 and two pedals 322.

The arm exercising unit 40 is disposed on the upper end of the upright post 22, and includes a hand operated wheel 41 rotatable relative to the upright post 22 about a second axis parallel to the first axis, and a handgrip crank 42 disposed to rotate the hand operated wheel 41.

The resistance unit 50 is disposed on the base frame 21 adjacent to the leg exercising unit 30, and includes an axle shaft 51 which is mounted on and which is rotatable relative to the upright post 213 about a third axis parallel to the first axis of the crank axle 31, and which has a plurality of teeth 511 formed thereon, a resistance wheel 52 which is disposed to be rotated with the axle shaft 51, and a resistance regulator 53 (see FIG. 4) which is disposed to regulate the resistance force of the resistance wheel 52.

The transmitting unit 60 includes first and second wheeled bodies 61, 64 respectively surrounding first and second ends of the crank axle 31 which are opposite to each other along the first axis, first and second unidirectional members 62, 65, and first and second force transmitting members 66, 67. The first wheeled body 61 has a first wheel which is rotatable relative to the crank axle 31 and which has a plurality of teeth 611 formed thereon, and a first tubular coupler 63 which is connected to and which extends from an inner periphery 612 of the first wheel along the first axis towards the second wheeled body 64. The first unidirectional member 62 is in the form of a ring, such as a unidirectional ball bearing, and is disposed to couple the first wheeled body 61 with a collar 311 on the first end of the crank axle 31 such that the first wheeled body 61 is driven to rotate about the first axis in a clockwise direction only when the crank axle 31 is rotated in the clockwise direction. The first force transmitting member 66 is a transmitting belt which is trained on the first wheel of the first wheeled body 61 and the axle shaft 51 and which is engaged with the teeth 611, 511. The second wheeled body 64 includes a second wheel surrounding the crank axle 31, and a second tubular coupler 642 which extends from an inner periphery of the second wheel along the first axis, which is surrounded by and which is spaced apart radially from the first tubular coupler 63 with an annular space therebetween, and which has an outer annular groove 641 formed in an outer periphery thereof. The second force transmitting member 67 is a transmitting belt which is trained on the hand operated wheel 41 and the annular groove 641 in the second wheeled body 64 so as to transmit a rotational force of the hand operated wheel 41 to rotate the second wheeled body 64 about the first axis. The second unidirectional member 65 is in the form of a ring, such as a unidirectional ball bearing, is received in the annular space, and couples the second tubular coupler 642 with the first tubular coupler 63 such that a rotational force generated as a result of the rotation of the second wheeled body 64 is transmitted to the first wheeled body 61 only when the second wheeled body 64 is rotated in the clockwise direction.

With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, when the user treads the pedals 322 to rotate the crank axle 31 in the clockwise direction in a leg exercising operation, the first wheeled body 61 is rotated in the same direction by means of the first unidirectional member 62 such that the transmitting belt 66 drags the resistance wheel 52 to rotate with the first wheeled body 61 against the resisting force. With reference to FIG. 7, in this state, even when the first wheeled body 61 is rotated in the clockwise direction, the second tubular coupler 642 is not rotated with the first wheeled body 61 because of the provision of the second unidirectional member 65, whereby the arm exercising unit 40 is not operated so as not to interfere with the leg exercising operation.

With reference to FIGS. 5 and 8, when the user rotates the handgrip crank 42 with the hands to rotate the hand operated wheel 41 in the clockwise direction in an arm exercising operation, the second wheeled body 64 is rotated in the same direction by means of the transmitting belt 67. Meanwhile, the first wheeled body 61 is rotated with the second wheeled body 64 by means of the second unidirectional member 65 such that the resisting force is applied to the hand operated wheel 41 through the transmitting belts 66, 67 and the first and second wheeled bodies 61, 64. With reference to FIG. 9, in this state, even when the first wheeled body 61 is rotated in the clockwise direction, the crank axle 31 is not rotated with the first wheeled body 61 because of the provision of the first unidirectional member 62, whereby the leg exercising unit 30 is not operated so as not to interfere with the arm exercising operation.

According to this invention, the handgrip crank 42 and the crank and pedal assembly 32 can be operated individually or together and can be rotated against a predetermined resisting force of the resistance unit 50 so as to provide an enhanced exercising effect for the user's arms and legs.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements. 

1. A pedaling wheeled exerciser comprising: a base frame; a crank axle mounted on and rotatable relative to said base frame about a first axis; a crank and pedal assembly disposed to rotate said crank axle; a first wheeled body surrounding and rotatable relative to said crank axle about the first axis; a first unidirectional member disposed to couple said crank axle with said first wheeled body such that said first wheeled body is driven to rotate about the first axis in a clockwise direction only when said crank axle is rotated in the clockwise direction; a resistance unit disposed to generate a resisting force against rotation of said first wheeled body; an upright post extending uprightly from said base frame to terminate at an upper end; a hand operated wheel rotatably mounted on said upper end of said upright post about a second axis parallel to the first axis; a second wheeled body mounted to be rotatable relative to said crank axle about the first axis; a force transmitting member disposed to couple said hand operated wheel with said second wheeled body so as to transmit a rotational force of said hand operated wheel to rotate said second wheeled body about the first axis; and a second unidirectional member disposed to couple said first and second wheeled bodies such that a rotational force generated as a result of the rotation of said second wheeled body is transmitted to said first wheeled body only when said second wheeled body is rotated in the clockwise direction.
 2. The pedaling wheeled exerciser of claim 1, wherein said crank axle has first and second ends opposite to each other along the first axis, said first and second wheeled bodies being disposed to surround said first and second ends, respectively, said first wheeled body including a first wheel with an inner periphery which surrounds said crank axle, and a first tubular coupler which is connected to and which extends from said inner periphery along the first axis towards said second wheeled body, said second wheeled body including a second wheel with an inner periphery, and a second tubular coupler which extends from said inner periphery along the first axis, which is surrounded by and which is spaced apart radially from said first tubular coupler with an annular space therebetween, said second unidirectional member being in form of a ring, and being received in said annular space to transmit the rotational force of said second wheeled body to said first wheel only when said second wheeled body is rotated in the clockwise direction.
 3. The pedaling wheeled exerciser of claim 2, wherein said resistance unit includes an axle shaft mounted on and rotatable relative to said base frame about a third axis parallel to the first axis, and a resistance wheel disposed to be rotated with said axle shaft, said pedaling wheeled exerciser further comprising a transmitting belt which is trained on said first wheel of said first wheeled body and said axle shaft such that said transmitting belt drags said resistance wheel to rotate with said first wheeled body against the resisting force.
 4. The pedaling wheeled exerciser of claim 3, wherein said resistance unit further includes a resistance regulator which is disposed to regulate the resisting force against the rotation of said first wheeled body.
 5. The pedaling wheeled exerciser of claim 2, wherein said force transmitting member is a transmitting belt which is trained on said hand operated wheel and said second wheel of said second wheeled body.
 6. The pedaling wheeled exerciser of claim 5, further comprising a handgrip crank which is mounted to rotate said hand operated wheel about the second axis.
 7. The pedaling wheeled exerciser of claim 1, further comprising a seat frame extending from said base frame rearwardly to terminate at a rear end, and a seat adjustably mounted on said rear end of said seat frame. 